Happy New Year, World

No fireworks here in Ca-land but one is sliding all over in DE-land. And some friends there are "blue". What does this all mean?

Glad you asked!

Forgive the repetition - the juveniles have the yellow beaks

Not really "blau" - it was a "guten Rutsch" into the new year, maybe?

Now we are getting some evidence for liquid. Can you identify the  3 in the following scene?

Which one is the liquid "bread"?

This something else:

Colouirful and maybe even healthy? Maybe? Just a little?

I am to blame:

Sorry about that - well maybe not.

W O B

Bye, Snow Bunting

Snowy Owl has gone hunting

Except for the Buntings, I think that there were more birders here than owls - thanks Ken for sharing the information. I think most of us respected private property and the space the owls needed.

W O B

A short walk to Leacock

I went snowshoeing yesterday after the temperature rose from a record-setting -30C to a calm balmy sunny -20C or even warmer! I even thought about canoeing -

And having a picnic -

with the advantage that the ice cream probably would not melt and get sticky-messy.


(I am OK, really)

So back to snowshoeing 300m to Leacock - his boat house is the obvious landmark.

His house is behind me to the right and is now a museum.

I took the following photos in October when the museum was open as part of the Art Studio Tour held every year in Simcoe County, as one of several very good art festivals in Ontario.

A wonderful opportunity -  W O B

McGee Creek

On Christmas Eve I went over to see how the beaver was doing on McGee Creek.

Not much to see, but to the right of the yellow post is the pile where the water snake posed in the October sunshine. To the right, beside the opon water there were some tracks, but I don't think made by an animal with a significant tail

Further down stream, the Creek was quite surprisingly large:

Above the bridge the Creek was snow covered:

Not a sign of cattle on the bank to the South-East:

There were some cattle at the top of the hill to the South, 600m away from the Creek.

W O B

cabañas culture

Travel broadens the mind - maybe the reason for the beeg brains in humans?
Travel does other things "below the belt" as it were. Nevertheless, nothing ventured, nothing learned. So, while this was where we spent the night on our way to the "Biosfera Calakmul", I found it of interest to see how one can "live"/build without disturbing nature - walking does not disturb as much as vehicles do. Photos from Thur Dec 7.

Note the Christmas lights, on all night for tourists, sadly.

At the end of this day we slept in another cabaña - but that will be another entry, possibly, Ron.

Carpet cleaning in Orillia - necessary after weather alert!

Saw this yesterday and it made me smile.

The store door says closed but then this was "Boxing Day"
(Maybe boxing up snow to give to friends in Germany and Mexico have been deprived of "snow"?)

I don't recall receiving so much snow at once in decades, and on Christmas Day in the morning
or Christmas day in the Morning
or

Leacock could not have seen very far - snow "drifts" from plows:

Do you recall picnics in summer?

Reminds me to get out my skis to practise jumping!


And for my friend "Hagi" who likes colourful birds:

The Wise Old Bird in person -